


I Still Love You

by fallingsnow6136



Series: Gentron Week 2020 [6]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Black Paladin Keith (Voltron), Black blames herself for Zarkon, Gen, I gave the lions actual distinctive personalities, Past Abuse, Red Paladin Lance (Voltron), Red is mad and hurting, Sentient Voltron Lions, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:42:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25840810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallingsnow6136/pseuds/fallingsnow6136
Summary: Zarkon has caused a lot of damage to the lions' bond with one another, particularly Black and Red. Their Paladins are there to remind them that no one can define their relationship. Lions-bonding, Keith-Black and Lance-Red bonding.
Relationships: Blue Lion & Voltron Lions, Keith & Black Lion (Voltron), Lance & Red Lion (Voltron), Voltron Lions & Voltron Paladins
Series: Gentron Week 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1862101
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	I Still Love You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunshinehime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinehime/gifts).



> Okay, so wow, finally up to ‘Free Day’. My friend ‘sunshine-hime’ said she wanted to see more lions bonding, but Black’s social skills are about as bad as Acxa’s and that takes serious skill, so here we go. Blue was the nicest to write and she is adorable. I love Black and Red too but yeah. To 'sunshinehime', who also betaread this for me, I love you so much and you truly are the Keith to my Black and I hope I can keep giving you these gifts to shower you with how precious you are.

Blue liked to play with the other lions, even when Allura and the other Paladins weren’t around. Red was grouchy but still joined them, liking to show off on her flights whilst Green liked to relax and watch their flights. Yellow was her best friend though because he flew side by side with her, keeping up with her gentle speed. However, her eyes scanned the area they were flying and her head drooped. Black hadn’t joined them again.  
  
‘Yellow, why won’t Black join us?’ Blue asked her companion through the mental link she shared with the lions.  
  
‘I’m sure she just wants to be alone, that’s all’ Yellow tried to respond encouragingly but Blue knew that Yellow was just saying that to make her feel better. Black never joined them – never hung out with them – even when Keith was there, she kept her distance.  
  
‘Quit giving her false reassurances’ Red’s more gruff voice broke through. ‘Black doesn’t want to be with us and prefers to be on her own. Well, unless Keith is around but the kid’s back on Earth’  
  
‘Isn’t there anything we can do?’ Blue asked. ‘I want all of us to be here. Black’s our head, she has to be here’  
  
‘I know!’ Yellow chimed in eagerly. ‘Why don’t we do something to cheer her up?’  
  
Blue looked up. ‘Like what? She won’t come out of the Hanger’  
  
‘Well, I dunno’ Yellow admitted. ‘Green, you’re the smart one, do you have any ideas?’  
  
Green shifted up from her position of being perched in the sand, observing the other lions. ‘I mean, a party might work, but there would be no point if Black decides to remain sealed in her Hanger’

Blue thought about this. ‘Will she not come to the party if Keith is there?’

‘Great plan, geniuses, how are we going to get Keith to keep it a secret from Black?’ Red remarked dryly as he walked back over to the other lions. ‘This is a bad…’ 

Blue suddenly headbutted Red. ‘Come on Red, help us! Don’t you want to make Black happy?’

Red grunted. ‘Oh get away from me...I never said I wouldn’t help, did I? I’m just pointing out the flaws in this plan.’

‘Then let Keith hang out with Black’ Green said simply to the others. ‘He doesn’t have to know the plan and it’d keep Black occupied so we can prepare the surprise.’ 

‘That’ll make Black happy too! Green, you really are our genius!’ Blue walked over, gently butting her head against Green’s. ‘Black is less sad when Keith is there.’

‘What makes you guys think Black is sad though?’ Yellow asked curiously. ‘I mean, maybe she just wants to be alone.’

‘But that’s not how Black was before Yellow,’ and Blue’s head drooped again. ‘She was always playing with me and would fly side by side with me. She was like our Mom in some ways. She made sure everyone was happy when we were with the original Paladins.’

‘You really expected her to remain like that?’ Red’s voice was rough. ‘Her decision to have faith in Zarkon did lead us to all being prisoners in different ways.’

‘It wasn’t her fault, Red!’ Blue snapped, head rising up and her eyes glowing. 

‘She probably doesn’t see it that way!’ Red’s eyes glowed as well, but Yellow stepped between them.

‘Chill, guys,’ Yellow chided them both, looking between them. ‘Let’s focus on cheering up Black, ok? Red, you don’t have to get as involved if you don’t want to.’

Blue was clearly still upset with Red’s words. ‘It’s probably better that he doesn’t. He clearly still has issues.’ 

‘Fine,’ and Red flew off. ‘Have fun.’

* * *

“Wait, what do you mean Red just flew off?” Lance said frowning, Allura having called a Paladin emergency meeting. “Is Red okay?”

“Blue won’t communicate the details to me,” Allura admitted honestly. “Just that they got into a little bit of an argument. Yellow tried to calm things down but well, Red got upset and flew off.”

“Good job anyway, Yellow,” Hunk praised his lion. “At least, you tried but I guess they were channeling their former pilots huh?” He could hear Yellow laugh in his head at that as Keith raised an eyebrow at him whilst Lance slightly glared at his best friend. 

“We weren't that bad, right Team Leader?” Lance said, latching onto that nickname despite the fact that they weren’t fighting battles anymore.

“Of course we weren’t,” Keith agreed immediately. “We were much more mature and knew how to work together.”

At this, everyone stared at them and even Shiro sent Keith a look that said ‘are you serious right now?’ causing Keith to flush and look away slightly. No one spoke for a few moments before Pidge finally broke the silence. 

“I’ll try and track Red down, but Keith?” Pidge said and Keith turned to her.

“Yeah?” Keith said, blinking at her. 

“Green wanted me to pass on the message that you should spend some time with Black,” Pidge said simply. “She’s been a little bit lonely.”

“She has been,” Allura said, expression saddening. “The other lions do spend time together even without us, but Black is usually not amongst them.” 

Keith nodded. “Okay, I’ll go to her then.” He could understand why Black didn’t interact with the others. He had tried to encourage her but he didn’t want to push her too much - he knew how much she struggled. Besides, I can make sure she knows she’s not alone anyway. Still, he did realise she needed to open up to the other lions, but wasn’t sure where to begin - he wasn’t Shiro - and he understood she still had a lot of trauma. He headed over to the Hangers, to see her, chuckling a bit as her eyes immediately glowed and she stood up upon seeing him.

‘Hey Black,’ Keith spoke to her through his telepathic link. ‘I think the others are a little bit worried about you.’

‘Why?’ Black’s question was soft, almost curious. ‘Why do they worry for me, Keith?’

Keith frowned at this. 'Because you’re their friend, Black. They don’t want you to be lonely or feel alone.'

‘I deserve it.’ Black was casual as she said this but Keith could feel the deeply embedded sadness - the kind she only really showed around him. ‘If I hadn’t ignored the signs of Zarkon changing, if I hadn’t tried to believe in him until it was too late, they may not have suffered as much as they did.’

Keith shook his head. 'Believing in someone you love even when the evidence points against it is natural. It doesn’t mean it’ll always turn out the way we want it to but it's never wrong. Black, you didn’t hurt the other lions or the original Paladins. Zarkon is the one who hurt all of you. He hurt you, he hurt his friends and he’s the one responsible for all the pain.' He pressed his hand against the metallic foot. 'I don’t blame you, Black and if you talk to them, I don’t think the others would either.' He could sense her hesitance at this and bit his lip. 'I’m not going to push you but I can stay with you if you want to try. I know it’s scary...so I won’t let you be alone.'

Black was silent for a few moments and Keith thought she wouldn’t reply.

‘I’ll try.’ was Black’s answer and Keith smiled. For now, that was enough.

* * *

Pidge was right - it was easy to find Red with her tracking and Lance’s bond with him, however his face fell into a frown as he realised his lion had his shield up.

“Red, what’s wrong?” Lance asked his lion, approaching.

“Maybe I should try stepping a little further back,” Pidge said, doing just as that and this seemed to do the trick because Red lowered his shield. What had happened? Hunk’s comment may have been completely off before but did Blue and Red have an actual argument? The lions were sentient, after all.

“Red, what happened?” Lance asked again, approaching the lion and sitting down in the sand, crossing his legs beside his friend.

‘What, Blue didn’t tell you what a jerk I was?’ Red’s tone was harsh and cutting but Lance felt he could sense something more. Hurt? He frowned at this. Blue was one of the kindest out of the lions - what had she said?

“No,” Lance admitted honestly. “She just told Allura that you two had an argument. Are you channeling how Keith and I used to be?”

‘You were much worse.’ Red’s remark was dry.

Lance huffed, not really offended because it meant Red was lightening up. "We were not, we were all awesome and collected about it! But anyway, what happened? Did Blue call you a jerk? Did she use her ice-beam on you? Did she…"

‘Would you shut up for two seconds and stop trying to guess?’ Red was clearly irritated and Lance grinned.

“Nope,” Lance said, smirking. Mission accomplished. “I’m here to make my buddy feel better and if you don’t tell me, I can keep guessing!”

‘Blue talked about how Black used to be, alright?!’ The fierceness that emanated from Red was much different and it was so overwhelming that Lance suddenly felt they were near a furnace. Still, his face morphed into seriousness as he watched him, waiting for him to continue.

‘She talked about how Black was when she was with Zarkon, how she was with him and with all of us. I said Black probably blames herself - I mean, because of trusting Zarkon, we all ended up imprisoned for 10,000 years! Is it wrong to be angry about that?’

“No,” Lance said immediately when Red asked if it was wrong to be angry about that. “You suffered Red. You were hurt and you have a right to be angry.”

‘But Black was hurt too, so I am a jerk.’ The anger faded, an almost defeated edge creeping in his tone.

“You’re not a jerk, Red,” Lance said firmly. “You’re hurting too. You know, before I became a Paladin, one of my teachers at the Garrison, he’d always put me down. He’d always tell me I was nothing compared to Keith and the only reason I was there was because Keith had been kicked out. It was constant.”

‘Wait, what?’ Red’s eyes glowed and he was on his feet instantly. ‘Take me to this teacher, right now!’

“Wait, Red, no,” Lance panicked. “You’re getting off topic, I have a point here, you know? Will you listen to me first?” He extended his arms out, biting his lower lip, hoping Red wouldn’t fly off. “Then we can teach them a lesson if you want.”

Red did calm down at that and stopped moving causing Lance to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Okay, so my point was that for a long time I hated Keith,” Lance said honestly. “I turned every little thing into a competition and wanted to think Keith was as bad as Iverson made him out to be, but that changed when I became bonded to you, Red. I actually saw Keith for the person he was, instead of the image I had about him. Don’t let Zarkon define your relationship with Black. Black isn’t the one who hurt you. Zarkon did. Just like Keith isn’t the person who hurt me. It’s okay to be angry - just be angry or upset at the right person.”

Red was silent for a bit and the silence felt weird because the lion was always so energetic but after a few seconds, the lion nearly knocked Lance over with his head.

‘Thanks, you do have a point. And maybe me being a jerk actually makes sense,’ Red finally said. ‘Now, the others want to throw Black a little party to cheer her up since she’s always alone.’

Lance grinned, glad Red had forgotten about his revenge trip - he hoped. “That sounds awesome! Let’s go!” 


End file.
